103 comments on “Massa drove like his brother” – Montezemolo

It’s not the most original thing Luca has said seeing as he was talking about Michael’s evil twin pre-season but good job on keeping your driver happy there Luca, sure he’ll be delighted to read that :P

“For this Felipe gets seven minus.” Is that his grade or what he lost at Germany?

LOL, well put Steph. It would be good if Ferrari evaluated before and after Germany Massa seperately and realized how the team orders telling him just how little trust they placed in him effected their chosen 2nd driver.

I don’t think it would have been a stellar season for Massa regardless, but Ferrari might have been able to keep the dream of the WCC alive for longer.

Haha! Took me a moment to figure that one out. -7 is indeed a very harsh mark… he did after all score a good few podiums over the course of the season, and there’s no shame in being beaten by Fernando Alonso

Hmmm you know, the whole title is a bit of a misnomer. “Drove like his brother” only really has reference if his brother has some capacity or recognition as a racing driver… which he clearly doesn’t. For all we know his brother may be a fantastic driver (though not a famous one) in which case the headline would be a compliment.

I’m sure there are people scratching their heads as to the true meaning of this headline. Clearly a failed attempt to construct (and perhaps sensationalise) a headline from the comments of the Ferrari boss. Just a pity Luca didn’t say he sent his Grandmother in to drive for him, then we would all be quite clear on the meaning, and Keith Collantine would have to clutch at straws for a fitting headline for his article.

I don’t really recall any point of the season when “Felipe’s brother” wasn’t driving. All of his good results were down to the car. So Monty can’t even get that right.

Luca says all this stuff, yet he still wants him to win the world championship for him next year if Alonso can’t do it. I expect in 9 month’s time we’ll see lots of “Felipe is a #1 driver who can get the results needed to help his team win the championship” interviews.

Leave now, Felipe. Even if it means quitting for good. You’re far better than these hypocritical clowns.

Oh come on! I’m sick of people talking about how Felipe is getting crushed under Alonso and Luca, and that he should quit Ferrari and look for another drive.

Firstly, he should be lucky he has a Ferrari contract in the first place. I really do not see a lot of top teams very eager to sign Massa anyways.

Secondly, if he has to recover his ‘reputation’, let him do it on track. I’m sick of him putting the blame on tyres, team status, blah blah. And I’m sick how all the fans blame his abysmal performances on Hockenheim. He was pretty crap before Hockenheim as well, and post Hockenheim, he just got a little worse.

Well answer this: why should he continue to drive for a team if the guy in the other car is dictating his strategy during the race and the company boss is publicly slating him afterward. (What kind of professional organization attacks its key personnel in public, anyway?) Is that really the team where a driver is going to rise up and “prove himself”? At Ferrari, once Luca gives you the malocchio, you are done. Ask Michael, ask Kimi, who went right down the plank as soon as favor was lost.

If a top driver decides that driving for Ferrari, or any other team, is enough reward in itself, and greater than the chance to achieve his full potential, then he truly has lost his respect for himself and shouldn’t expect it from anyone else.

Luca’s comments are now inviting the paddock to view him as a 2nd rate, unmotivated driver, who is content to ride around in a red car because the red car is so cool.

I don’t think Massa has lost his self respect, and thus he needs to step into a reasonably quick car, beat a respectable teammate, and reestablish the brand he earned in 2008. He can do it. He can come back in a couple years into a McLaren or a RedBull and win a title or two.

Are you implying Fernando was deciding his race strategy by asking where Felipe was in Abu Dhabi? Answer this – What was expected of Felipe in Abu Dhabi? Was he expected to win the WDC? Was he to help secure the WCC? or was he to help Ferrari secure at least one title in 2010? It was not Fernando deciding on his race strategy… it was common sense that he was going to try and assist his teammate in Abu Dhabi.. just like he did in Brazil 2007.

As for Luca slating him.. what do you expect from the most demanding team in the paddock? He has been with Ferrari 5 years, and has nothing to show for it.

Michael walk the plank?? Come on! Everyone was sick of that combination.. the fans, and even Michael and Ferrari wanted a new challenge. Additionally, before the retirement decision, Michael was confident of winning in 2006 and retiring on top. I guess that didn’t work out for him, and he retired anyways. Ferrari wanted to see their cars driven by new drivers as well. Michael had been there 10 seasons! As far as Kimi goes.. we all saw his lack of motivation and consistency in 2008 and start of 2009. If I were a team principal and I got an option of dumping Kimi for Fernando.. I would definitely take it too.

You have to constantly deliver for you F1 team.. especially a Ferrari or a Mclaren. If Fernando screwed up this year he would be in the same position too. And I really doubt there would be as many people sympathising with his situation. Its the survival of the fittest in Ferrari, and Massa is weak.

I really do not see Mclaren or Red Bull interested in Massa. Hypothetically speaking, even if he did get a drive with Mclaren or RB, he would experience some further confidence damage at the hands of Vettel and Hamilton.

I I tend to agree with Mr Todfod here. Even though There is often more to these F1 situations behind the scenes, a driver really has to perform to get the respect or justification for his position.

Rubens was another driver outclassed by his teamate at Ferrari and though I’m fairly certain Michael certainly held the reigns at Ferrari when he was there, Rubens constantly spoke of what he could do without ever delivering.

Philppe did a good job against Kimi but Raikonnens suspect attitude was his downfall. Before you all jump on me, I’m not saying Raikonnen wasn’t an exceptional driver or that his lack of involvement were due to nonchalance or indifference. But clearly this did affect his ability to succesfully liaise with the team, and ultimately cost him is seat.

Perhaps Massa thought it would be a similarly easy ride with Alonso. Perhaps his crash last year affected him more than we realise. Clearly he has ‘fallen off shape’ for some reason. If he performs this way, and worse! can’t get his mojo back, then he is going to come under a considerable amount of pressure and criticism, irrespective of which team he drives for or who his boss is… isn’t that the way the world generally works?

@Mike. The key words you mentioned ‘losing the championship’ says everything. He lost to his teammate in 2007, to Lewis in 2008 (heartbreakingly.. but a loss none the less), and in 2010 he got beaten by his teammate again.. and lost them 2nd place in the WCC.

If Massa is that good, then let’s see how he compares to Alonso next year. If he is indeed slower, like he was all year, then he really is the # 2 driver and will probably be perfectly happy driving a Ferrari for $xx,000,000 a year…..

I would love to see him come back as fast as Alonso in 2011 and see the 2 of them fight it out for at least the first half of the season. Maybe we could blame 2010 on the spring-to-face incident.

The reality of this situation is the same at most other teams in that one driver is usually much quicker than the other driver and is therefore the #1 (we were lucky this year to have sort of even McLaren and RBR drivers). People can say what they want about car parts and updates, but c’mon, one driver is usually faster and the team back that driver…any team.

If you look at this, which is surely the most comprehensive, objective and best tabulation for driver rankings I’ve ever seen, Massa didn’t actually do so bad. It was more down to the guys ahead of him driving incredibly well. Here’s the link:

Your not expecting Montezemolo to actually manage fractions?
He got no skills other then running his mouth. Can’t believe what he said here (well actually sad thing I can believe and the only other I would expect something so rude and belittling is either Flavio Briatore or Max Mosley).
Why don’t he just fire Massa and be done with it instead of making his life miserable. But I guess he wants Massa to quick on his own accord.
These kind of stupid comments is NOT going to make Massa feel part of the team and welcome. Constant attacks like this and orders to move aside (germany) going to guarantee that your not showing up with your best A game on race weekend. If Massa been given the win he earned and made for himself in Germany I think the rest of the season would been lot different.
But IMO the rest of the season after Germany he drove extremely poorly, worse then before but then what’s the point? If he drive good he’s not going to get a thank you just a move out of Alonsos way your in the way.

I’m not so familiar with Montezemolo so I am confused – is it typical italian bla-bla-bla or is this political preemting move and Massa is doomed if he won’t do really good next year. Or maybe a mediocre attempt to attract some attention in dull period of the season.

Get a grip people, Massa was trailing Alonso by a fair margin in all aspects before the race in Germany, so it wasn’t just that. Monty is more or less spot on. By Massa’s standards, he was woeful.

There’s a load of reasons why, the crushing last-lap disappointment of 2008, the new rules/tyres of 2009 onwards maybe haven’t suited him and then post-Germany there was probably nothing left in the tank.

Hopefully he can get things together and have a good 2011 season. There’s nothing to suggest he can’t be like Webber and Button and keep up with his team mate despite what everyone says, and if he does that he won’t find himself in the situation he was in at Hockenheim.

Yeah, Guys, you’re right. But there is and must be something more than $ and glamour of being the tiffosi’s chosen one. We know or at least sense it. They also do. It’s a pity that one of most important teams creates such an atmosphere. It’s not the first time and probably not the last one. Unless rumours are true and Luca is going to switch to politics. Maybe the next boss will act in different manner, use wiser words. Call me naive or sentimental but sometimes I wish we all have more humanity in the paddock. Imagine Peter Sauber telling something like that about his drivers…

I agree. Ferrari’s arrogance with which they treat their seat is quite annoying. Infact, were it not for Michael Shumacher and Brawn’s reclamation project of their team a few years ago, their prestige would be a lot more dimmed than it is now.
Drivers need to have the confidence of their bosses too, I think

i’m not sure if Alonso and Massa had similar cars, i think that the team did not do enough to make car better for Massa but they put all their efforts in getting the car right for the santander sponsored pay driver aka Alonso…

I believe that is the case because I think Alonso would have demanded it since he won the race. I believe Alonso is faster than Massa but not consistently .5 sec or more race after race.
Massa was much closer than that to Kimi in 07 and 08 and I know Kimi can beat Alonso with a similar car.

At a certain point in the season Felipe was fed up and sent his brother. For this Felipe gets seven minus.

Wow, so what was all that talk of the team giving Massa their full support? It did feel a bit like a party line at times, but it’s pretty obvious Massa has no standing with the Powers That Be at Ferrari. He deserves more.

Let’s be a little sympathetic here. Massa suffered major head trauma last year as a result of that spring and as a result no doubt missed out on a proportion of pre-season development. I would think 2011 would be a fairer judgment of him.

And how about a story on the most idiotic comments from Ferrari management?

Luca really has no class. He may be correct in his assessment of Massa, but the way he has thrown it out here is disrespectful to Massa (and his brother), and does nothing to aid his driver’s confidence or sense of standing in team. A career in politics? What a joke!!

I pity Ferrari, though, as they are so desperate to please a Tifosi that are so narrow-minded as to accept nothing but victory. It really forces them to say stupid things to the media.

Vow, hats off to u. Did u even read ur comments before posting it ? Ur whole comment is hilarious. Since I dont have patience to comment on ur whole post, I take ur last sentence.
In ur view, Alonso was 3 tenths quicker coz he was in form. He was quicker than Massa in almost all the races and to be out of form for he whole reason is beyond reasoning. Who asked Massa to be out of form ? Th fact is that he simply didnot drive the car fast , not even in his home GP. To blame Alonso for Massa’s performance is pleasing ur ANTI-ALONSO minds/hearts. Each car ca be set in different ways. Massa could have setup his car to his liking just like Button did in Monza and on several other occassions. fan fanaticm is good but its got to backed with logical reasoning.

I think the big problem for Massa is that Alonso is an incredibly fast talented driver. Probably one of the best we have ever seen. Alonso could make just about anyone look slow in the same car. It’s the harsch truth – not sure what he can really do about it.

Couldn’t agree less. Alonso isn’t the most talented or the best driver though he is certainly top 5. I would put him on par with Kubica in terms of skiill and talent rather than the likes of Vettel and Hamilton who really are at the extreme end of the talent spectrum. In fact Alonso himself stated this quite clearly during the season he isn’t the most talented driver but the delivery of top tier consistent results are where his strengths lie… I’m paraphrasing here so forgive me.

Alonso monumentally failed to make Hamilton look slow when he was at McLaren. And Hamilton has only shaded Button this year. Massa was well up with and sometimes in front of Alonso in the first half of the season – the call to let Alonso pass destroyed his self esteem.